EV Rally 2024 London to Brighton - BYD Dolphin Wireless CarPlay Test Drive
As part of my EV ownership journey, I visited to my local town of Brighton, UK to browse some EV vehicles and EV brands/services that were taking part and showcased at the event.
There was a big presence from sponsors BYD who showcased their fleet of EV and hybrid vehicles. Consumers attending the free event were able to book a test drive with any three BYD models, so I took this offer up and test-drove a BYD Dolphin small hatchback EV.
I only had around 20 minutes with the Dolphin, but it was enough to get a taste of its three drive modes. I found Sport mode was the most perky and fun to drive. It has two generative braking modes, with high being strong but not to a level of one pedal breaking as I have experienced in the Fiat 500e.
Its large 15-inch infotainment screen was nice to use and fairly responsive, with a party trick of rotating between horizontal and vertical at the press of a button. Personally I don’t think I would use it vertically, but I would need time in the Dolphin to see which is better. Mixed with its physical push buttons and roll dials that were below the screen and also those on the steering wheel, I felt there were enough tactile controls that covers the most commonly used features. From climate control, drive aids and modes, to volume, music and media playback and navigation, it was nice to not have to dive into a single screen and flick through a bunch of sub menus, which a lot of makers are starting to favour.
I couldn't resist checking out its wireless CarPlay performance. I assumed it would have a wireless connection at this vehicle's age, and I was right. I connected my iPhone 15 Pro to the Dophin’s BT/Wi-Fi connection for wireless CarPlay in around 10 seconds, which was decent I thought. Its high-resolution display looks striking and bold, sitting on the centre console. I did forget to test how it looks when the screen is rotated vertically and if it adapts a different CarPlay layout. I will have to try this if I can get back into a Dolphin again.
The rest of the car felt nice with some nice materials and design, just as long as you can get around BYD's unique and quirky styling. The rear was very roomy for a car of its size but at the sacrifice of a smaller boot space of 345 L. Due to its black cover, I didn't realise until I was sitting in the back that there was a large panoramic glass roof. Another feature I'd like to test out next time.
Overall, the EV Rally was good to have gone to, if just for the test drive. But I felt many more EV brands could have been showcasing their EV models there. Only Volkswagen and Tates were there as dealers, with only a handful of cars on show. So many more could have been there to make this event a true place for the discovery and education of EV vehicles. There were plenty of people passing through, so I feel it was a missed opportunity of other brands not being there. Maybe next year it will catch on.
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